Mobile HTPC Case reccomendations

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Exocet956

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jan 25, 2001
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I want build a mobile HTPC that is highly portable, capable of decoding HD video and audio, and can used if in a car if need be (not hard wired per say). I would like to take and hook up the computer to a TV for playback of video and audio. I have all the requisite adaptors, i.e., ac inverter, tape adaptor, fm modulator to make it work in the car but have no desire to tether it to the car. like in all the other automotive pc's. I have used a laptop for this task before but using a laptop in the car is a magnet for wanting to look at the screen. I have been eyeing mini itx for a while and the affordability of the Intel atom based itx board and the relatively attractive feature of the Athlon 64 based itx boards and the cheap processors that can be used have appealed to me.

However, I am confused by the myriad of mini itx cases out there. What is the smallest case that would still offer a optical drive and a pci slot for expansion? Is it possible to use a pci riser to convert one pci slot to two. (necessary for Video cards, sound cards or tv tuners

Motherboard
Atom Board
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121342
Cases
1 pci
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/miniitx-case-c138.asp
2 pci
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/miniitx-case-c137.asp
(19v, or 12v?)
PCI Riser
http://www.logicsupply.com/products/ext_pcig
(WTH, Via only, is this right?)

Does the atom have enough horsepower to decode HD if using a external video card. (onboard video does not decode HD i believe)
Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131082
or would i better off with something like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813153114
with a real dual core processor

What enclosure do you guys recommend I can find tons but they never mention that you can use anything else other than via boards. Aren't Via itx boards all standard sized or are the proprietary?
 
Yeah, for sure go with the Jetway NC62K motherboard. It's pretty amazing for a mini-ITX size. Since you're going really mobile with in-car stuff, go with a 45w AMD CPU in that board. (ex. AMD X2 4850e)
 
I was thinking that but the case selection really has me scratching my head. Do i get a case with a dc power supply or go for one like w1retap did that has a regular atx power supply? I like the case w1retap chose but i was hoping to go for a slightly smaller form factor. I have a plethora of extra parts both desktop and mobile but I have no clue which case still offers me the best balance of size and expandability. This machine would essentially be carted around everywhere including used in car computing. the only difference is it would not really stay tethered to the car or a htpc environment. i was planning on a tv tuner with the jetway board hence the need for a pci slot expansion. The problem is all the itx case list is via compatibility. Does that mean there boards are somehow not the same as standard mini itx.
 
mini-ITX motherboards have a standard screw pattern in them. The the large majority of those via boards fall under the mini-ITX standard, so you're fine.

For simplicity sakes, I'd go with a regular power supply, then just have an inverter in your car. Maybe go with a PSU that has the power brick cable so you can save space inside the case.
 
I looked at you thread on your HTPC build and had a couple of questions. Does the hard drive you mounted in the side of the case vertically have a mount point there or did you have to mod that in? I am wondering if this case would be quieter due to the inclusion of a 80mm intake fan.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811165041

I am assuming this case here would present cooling issues with the jetway board and 45w x2
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/miniitx-case-c138.asp

What is the height of the low profile heatsink on the jetway board? Would it be able to fit in something like this?

http://www.servercase.com/miva/miva...=SC&Product_Code=CK137&Category_Code=Mini-ITX
 
Nothing on the Jetway board sticks up above the I/O shield. It's all low-profile heatsink fan hardware. It would fit in both cases you listed.

The hard drive does have a mount in the case I have. These little plastic hard drive rails clip on the sides of the hard drive, then you slide the drive in place and screw in the top mount to the chassis. Perhaps a better option would be to get a 3.5'' conversion caddy that holds one or two 2.5'' hard drives.

And I think that little ITX case you linked to would be fine with that mobo and 45w processor. It might run warm, but I don't see it overheating. There are plenty of ventilation holes in that case. Modding a small exhaust fan into it might also be an option if heat did turn out to be an issue.
 
I have a few more questions about the case you went with. Which 3.5 inch bay is externally accessible? Is it the bay that you mounted the hard drive in or the bay below the optical drive? I was thinking that a card reader would be a key component for my htpc. i can't tell by neweggs pictures which bay is the bay i would need to use for a card reader. What is the clearance on the expansion slot. My concern is i might need a shorter tv tuner card if the card run's into the end of the optical drive.
 
What do i need to do to get hardware acceleration working. Do I need video drivers, a playback software such as power dvd, or just the proper video codecs. I ideally would like to use WMC as the front end and not need third party player software (10 foot interface FTW). I do dearly love media player classic though.
 
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